Meet Raymond - Rescue JRT

Why hello there, I am Raymond. I am a laid back and quiet fellow who just wants a place to share all my love and play and cuddle. I am nine years old, and love to play with my foster brother and my toys.. I love to go for my walkies, but also love to hang out and watch tv with you on the couch. I can sleep in a crate, but would way prefer to cuddle on your bed if you let me. I like to play with toys and can do so with you or alone... I play soccer with my tennis balls sometimes and it makes people laugh! I try to get in a good wrestling work out of two with my foster dog brother... we have a GREAT time together! I walk great on a leash and hardly ever bark. I even pop my head into my leash for you to make it easier to get ready to go! I am an all around wonderful calm lad who would make a great companion for almost any household! Maybe not really little kids, they might overwhelm me, but otherwise, I am a loyal, obedient, well trained, quiet, loving boy ready to move on and get over this horrible year in my life! 

***Please consider some of us more experienced jacks! We have SOOO much love to give, and come as a great package deal! For a reduced adoption fee, you not only get more lovin' than you can handle, but we come already trained, housebroken, calmer, and with some little surprise tricks and talents sometimes! We love to cuddle, and aren't always as concerned with what's going on our that window...we are just happy to be in your warm loving home or on your welcoming lap! We've seen the other side of the fence and are just so very thrilled to be on this side! More mature poochies usually settle in faster and easier as well, and won't overwhelm you with needing to be taught everything! Please don't pass us by just cause we aren't teeny puppies anymore...like wine, we only get better with age!

Raymond is up-to-date with routine shots, house trained and spayed/neutered.

Visit Raymond's page for more pictures:

http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15360875

Visit Russell Rescue for more information on adoptions, JRT's in need and fostering.

www.russellrescue.org

Portrait Contest

I thought it's about time I posted the information for entering the 5"x7" pencil portrait contest, so here we go.

This contest is for, as stated above, 1 free 5"x7" pencil (black and white) portrait - shipping included for Canada and US only. This portrait can be either a pet or a person. All I need from those entering is a clear, close up head shot of your pet/person of choice, and a little paragraph (a couple sentences) explaining who the pet/person is. Please send all files in JPEG format.

All submitted contact information (except first names) will be kept fully confidential. Please be aware I will be posting the first name of the winner, and the first name of the pet/person in the portrait on this blog, as well as an image of the final portrait and the photo that accompanies it (this info will also be posted to my website).

Please send all entries to:

juliesillustration @ hotmail.com (minus the spaces between the "n" and "@" and "h" of course, spaces are for anti-spam purposes only, sorry for the inconvenience).

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. This contest will be a random draw, and will be open from today, January 24th, 2010 to March 24th, 2010. The winner will be contacted and posted on this blog on March 25th, 2010.

To view more of my artwork, please visit:

www.juliesillustration.com

Samples of 5"x7" pencil portraits below.

Digital Drawing

Yes, you'll notice that sometimes some of my images are poor attempts at digital drawing. I have yet to get the hang of the Wacom tablet. It causes me stress trying to draw on something that's not really something, but is attached to something, that transfers something to where the image shows up on screen. My bass-ackwards usage of the mouse (thanks dad), adds to the frustration level of trying to draw with the tablet pen when I think right is left, and left is right ... the tablet is a parallel universe where things are as they seem - oh my gawd, right is actually right! I've resigned myself to sketching by hand, scanning, opening the scan in Illustrator,  (cheating) live paint/tracing, and them importing to Photoshop and painting in layers with the handy dandy good ole' mouse. Not quite the romantic, dignified or simplified way that I envisioned world of digital drawing, but it's got to work for the time being.

Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but I like the feel of a pencil or paint brush in my hand, moving and flowing against a piece paper or a canvas, it's comfortable ... is that weird? I suppose, maybe a little, but artists are allowed to be eccentric, right? At least I'm trying, and digital work is at the very least, more convenient than lugging around an acrylic paint set and canvas or a giant tackle box of markers, and it is much less obvious to others, that I'm actually drawing, ahem, for obvious reasons. Makes life easier. I suppose I should keep practicing - they say practice makes perfect you know, and maybe one day I'll get the hang of it.

Photo shoot with the little dog

Is she adorable or what!? What a good sport - well, she was this time anyway because I wasn't using a flash.

Yes, she's wearing a bow, but she is a girl no matter what she says. And yes, it's a Dove Spa bow, and no, she does not go to get her nails done.

This is my favorite shot out of this session. It just screams her personality of "I'm better and smarter than you".

Love the effect I got on this, looks more like an old-time black and white shot. She looks good in grey-scale.

It's the clear bone. The coveted clear bone. Not as good as the ball, but a first choice over any other Nyla.

Mmmm, clear bone.

She doesn't chew this bone. She gums it. And makes out with it. A weird fetish? I have no idea.

Her best "longing" look.

Waiting for the ok to pounce on the clear bone.

So who likes slightly staggered pictures in blog posts? Not me, but that's what I get for screwing around with the HTML or what ever the hell code is involved. Let's just pretend I'm trying to be artistic about photo placement, yeah that's it, add some interest to the post. Bah!

Dogs at Odds

New Years Eve Images - Better late than never

Just some images from New Years Eve 2010.

Brandy got to spend a half day at work with me. Adds entertainment value to the office, and heck, everyone loves her, so she's always more than welcome. She's a good worker, not excellent on the keyboard but she'll learn.

These were more for artistic value than anything. We're well passed the days of partying 'till the whee hours of the morning - in bed at 1:30 am on New Years, that's not bad.

"All is quiet on New Year's Day.
A world in white gets underway.
I want to be with you, be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on New Year's Day.
On New Year's Day."

 - U2 Live - "Under a Blood Red Sky"

 

 

 

Happy New Year!!

Wishing everyone the best for 2010!!